Taxon Report

Stellaria littoralis Torrey

beach starwort

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Stellaria littoralis, commonly known as beach starwort, is a perennial rhizomatous herb in the Caryophyllaceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Bogs and fens, Coastal bluff scrub, Coastal dunes, Coastal scrub, and Marshes and swamps, growing at elevations from 5 to 40 meters. Stellaria littoralis is ranked 4.2, Plants of Limited Distribution, A Watch List; Moderately threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Stellaria littoralis Torrey
Common Name:	beach starwort
Family:	Caryophyllaceae
Element Code:	PDCAR0X0L0
USDA Plants Symbol:	STLI
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial rhizomatous herb
Blooming Period: Mar-Jul	Mar-Jul
Elevation:	5-40 (15-130)
General Habitats:	Bogs and fens, Coastal bluff scrub, Coastal dunes, Coastal scrub, Marshes and swamps
Microhabitat:
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	4.2
Global Rank:	G3
State Rank:	S3
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:
CRPR Changes:

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	0
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	0
Good (B)	0
Fair (C)	0
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	0

Location


California Endemic: True
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Marin (MRN)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Drakes Bay (3812218)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	0
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	0	0 %

Notes



Threatened by grazing, trampling, and non-native plants. See Report of the Pacific Railroad Expedition 4:69 (1857) for original description.
Threats:

Taxonomy:

Selected References

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 31 March 2025].